Influence Of Aquaculture Development On Fish Pond Water Quality And Livelihoods Of Fish Farmers In Gatundu, Kiambu County

ABSTRACT

A growing fish demand in Kenya, coupled with Government support from the

Government has seen an upsurge in the aquaculture sub-sector. The Government’s

Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) has been the main boost to Aquaculture

development in the country. Despite the high growth, there is inadequate information on

impact of the growth in aquaculture on water quality and livelihoods. The main objective

of this study therefore was to establish the quality of water in the fish ponds and also

determine whether aquaculture has improved fish farmers’ livelihoods in Gatundu,

Kiambu County. The study was carried out between May 2015 and March 2016.

Physico-chemical parameters were determined in pond and inlet water using standardized

apparatus while nitrates and phosphate levels were determined using standard laboratory

procedures. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information on the impact

of aquaculture on livelihood of fish farmers in the study area. Data analysis was done

using one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to find the significant difference at

p≤0.05. Independent t-test was used to compare means of inlet and pond water while

Student newman keuls test was used to separate the means. Livelihood data was analyzed

using Chi-square to show association of variables in the different locations. Results of

mean physico-chemical parameters of pond water were; Temp; 23.58±3.85°C,

DO; 4.89±1.09mg/L pH; 7.68±0.50, TDS; 493.13±136.67mg/l, EC; 34.63±19.50μScm-1,

N-NO3; 2.76±2.35mg/L, and PO4-; P1.71±1.50mg/L and did not exceed permissible water

quality limits. There was no significant difference among sampled fish ponds and among

fish ponds except in EC. Mean concentrations of measured parameters significantly

increased in pond water as compared to inlet water except for N-NO3. The farmers’

livelihood survey showed aquaculture had improved livelihood of fish farmers through

income, better nutrition and employment. Livelihood improvement was significantly

different between sampling locations. Most farmers had a production cycle of 9-12 months

and only 27% of the farmers had table-size fish by 8 months. 72% of the farmers earned

below Ksh 20,000 (USD 200) in a production cycle. The study concluded that water

quality of pond and inlet water was within acceptable limits and was not an immediate

threat to the ecosystem, however aquaculture practices were significantly influencing the

quality of fish pond water. The study therefore recommended that pond water should not

be disposed directly into water bodies without treatment because of its rich nutrient

content. Regular monitoring of the water quality in fish ponds and good aquaculture

practices were important in ensuring the water quality was maintained within the

acceptable range. Aquaculture as an enterprise had improved farmers’ livelihoods and

should be promoted, however farmers needed training on commercialization and better

management technologies in order to increase fish production and returns.